Despite their success and weight in the industry integral people that saw through those early gritty months, are being treated like temporary hires.

The tech industry is under fire for the cut-throat HR culture. It poses the question as to why an industry that has such an enormous demand for tech talent would be notorious for ‘pushing out' key players when on the brink of major growth.

What do start-ups recruit for?

The initial stages of these infant companies are full of hustle and long hours. Undoubtedly the most efficient ingredient for success is great talent.

Having people in the room who understand the vision, can bring experience and skill to the table as well as have emotionally bought into the company.

At this stage it's common to hear ‘you'll have X amount of shares', ‘you'll be a CFO in no time'. And this is common with any industry start-up however, tech ventures are becoming notorious for squeezing out IT leaders just when the company is about to hit it big. This ‘squeezing' is often dancing on the line of legal and leaves employees feeling depressed and undervalued.

Tactics used to ‘push' IT leaders out

Developers and digital strategists and top tech salespeople can feel the wind change as soon as either funding is introduced or unexpected growth occurs. The goals of the company may change due to external stakeholders or more often than not, the CEO can spot the company's share value being leaked to a mid-management team member. By flooding the company with redundancies and then expecting key leaders to pick up the slack, it's easy for senior management to build a case on how they are unable to perform within their role. And you can see where this is going.

How culture affects our mental health

Considering that the tech industry is already operating with an insatiable demand for software developers and leadership talent, tech is not implementing any retention techniques or culture.

With a lack of support, consistency or honoured personal development plans, employees are feeling demotivated, undervalued and overworked. 

Research and statistics taken from HRdirector, show how problematic behaviour at work can impact employees in and out of the work environment

  • 64% said it negatively impacted their mental health
  • Two-thirds confirmed it affected their confidence and ability to find a new job
  • 67% suffered from anxiety as a direct result of workplace bullying
  • 71% have had to have therapy due to an issue they experienced at work
  • Almost three-quarters have called in sick due to not wanting to see somebody they have a negative relationship with at work

On how toxic cultures are affecting the UK's workforce, the research revealed:

  • 34% have been less engaged with their job due to the company having a bad culture
  • 31% wouldn't share their concerns in annual employee surveys
  • 44% have witnessed problematic behaviour (such as bullying, harassment or discrimination) at work
  • 62% would be much more likely to report an instance of bullying/harassment if their workplace had an anonymous platform to do so
  • 27% have called in sick due to problematic behaviour they've witnessed/ experienced at work
  • 36% confirmed an incident, such as bullying, harassment or discrimination, at work has led to them not trusting their employer

Which tech companies have the best culture?

It's not all bad news. And although the above may seem scathing of the industry as a whole, there are many innovative and culturally led companies that started with their team in mind. Companies such as Pleo, Buffer, Gravity Payments and Proofhub have hit outstanding team culture ratings.

How The Curve Group will provide solutions

There's always a way to monitor, progress and marry culture with KPIs within HR. Finding an efficient solution that works for your organising as well as for your team could be the next step for your business. Explore The Curve Group's outsource solutions across the entire employee lifecycle. The practicality of understanding employee lifecyle within your business model will drive retention.

The Curve Group have over two decades of experience and offers services from HR consultancy, HR outsourcing solutions and permanent recruitment.

Get intouch with us today to discover your solution. Our team are at ready to take your call.